STEP open to schools

MSP program teaches safety to kids and staff

LANSING – The Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division is offering elementary schools across the state an opportunity to enroll fifth-graders in the “Student Tools for Emergency Planning” program. Known as STEP, this classroom curriculum enables teachers to prepare students for various emergencies, including tornadoes, flooding and storms.

“Students who participate in the STEP program will learn important and potentially lifesaving knowledge about emergency preparedness,” said Capt. Chris A. Kelenske, deputy state director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and commander of the MSP/EMHSD. “Students then take that knowledge home and share it with family and friends, making their communities better prepared for an emergency or disaster.”

The STEP program provides teachers with emergency preparedness materials at no cost to the school, including instructor guides, copies of student handouts and starter emergency supply kits.

Interested schools must email the MSP/EMHSD at EMHSDCitizenCorps@ michigan.gov by Nov. 1.